Bringing This One Back To Celebrate The Countdown To The Release Of Ithaca Saga! Only One More Day Left

the absolutely LETHAL face card that is s5 merlin… bamf!merlin truthers rise!

presented without comment

I will always love the idea of Merlin using his powers to become Morgana's sleep paralysis demon (see: Dragoon & Morgana's interaction in "A Servant of Two Masters")! Could you imagine if Merlin decided to keep spooking Morgana as Dragoon? Just, this immortal warlock popping up to foil Morgana's plans when she least expects it. I love it lol!

incorrect merlin quotes #14

An idea that just came to me: an au where Merlin, by virtue of his status as Emrys and a dragonlord, is part fae.

However, he wasn't always fae, so his new powers come as a shock to him when they start appearing soon after he banished Kilgharrah. Still, Merlin starts reading all he can on the fae and their powers, trying to know what to expect, but there aren't many books on the fae available to him in Camelot, so his knowledge is very limited.

So, the next time Arthur took Merlin out for an overnight hunt, Merlin prepared a stew dinner for the both of them, which was nothing out of the ordinary. But, when Arthur ate the stew, something happened, Merlin could feel it. It was like his magic had suddenly grown an extra connection to Arthur, and it was very strange.

What was even stranger was the fact that every time Arthur or one of the knights ate food that he had prepared, Merlin's strange magical connection to them got stronger, like strings of wool being woven together to form a stronger fiber.

By the time Merlin learned about the rules surrounding fae food, it was already far too late. Merlin freaked for a very long time over the fact that he apparently owned all of his friends' souls, and now there was no way to undo it!

However, as time went on and things continued on as they usually did, with all of his friends acting normally towards him and not like they were under any sort of magical compulsion, Merlin slowly relaxed.

Eventually, after a disastrous encounter with a Sidhe in disguise who was trying to trick Arthur into selling his soul, Merlin decided that this might be a good thing. No one else could take his friends' souls if he already owned them.

Besides, he loved all of them! He'd take very good care of their souls, treating all of them with the respect and kindness they deserved.

(Some part of Merlin, buried deep below, cried out in horror at the notion of owning any person's soul, let alone his loved ones', but it was quickly silenced by a new instinct, some foreign logic that now took over his mind. This was his nature, after all.)

And perhaps, one day, Merlin would be correct in that him owning his friends' souls was a blessing instead of a burden. When, one fateful day, Merlin stood at the shores of Avalon holding his king's dying body, he refused to give up Arthur's soul.

Avalon could take Arthur's body if it wanted it that badly; Merlin could always create a new one for his king with his magic alone. But Arthur's soul belonged to Merlin.

Forever.

(And whether this is a good or terrible ending for Arthur is up to you!)

Sigan: Arthur will tremble at your voice. He will kneel at your feet.

*Long pause before Merlin responds compared to any of Sigan's other statments as Merlin asks himself why certain aspects of this idea are apealing. Then Merlin reminds himself HOW Sigan means this before he can figure out his feels.*

Merlin: I don't want that.

What's he cooking up in there? 🤔

(Now I kinda want to write an au where Arthur returns, but he got body swapped with either Freya or Lancelot, or maybe one where Arthur returns but Freya and Lancelot's souls are stuck with him inside his mind lol!)

the hell is he making in there

I had a lot of fun working with Griffon on this fic! I had a blast writing the identity shenanigans between Merlin and Emrys!

A big thank you to my beta reader, Sage_Owl on Ao3, and to the reverse bang mods for organizing this event! :D

Merlin BBC Reverse Bang 2024/25 - Mitosis and its Consequences

Author: @ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral Arthis: @griffonskies Rating: Teen and Up Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Summary:

“Merlin, do you know this fiend? Has he threatened you into allowing him to take your appearance somehow?!” “Yes, I do know him, but he hasn’t stolen my appearance or anything of the like. It is, technically, his face too.” Arthur’s brows furrowed with confusion. What was Merlin going on about now? “This really wasn’t the introduction I would have liked, but I guess it’s too late for that now. Everyone, I’d like you all to meet my twin brother, Emrys.” ~ After a ritual gone wrong, Merlin's soul is split into two different bodies: one with magic and one without. And because destiny apparently had it out for him, the knights catch both of them in the same place. Without any better explanation, Merlin blurts out the only believable lie that he can think of: that the two identical Merlins are twin brothers.

Link to fic HERE

With the way he curls his legs back, it almost looks like he's trying to make himself smaller in these situations, which is VERY in character for Merlin.

We can see clearly that Merlin, even back in season one, is very tall, even taller than Arthur, but he makes himself smaller, more unassuming, in order to come off as not dangerous and to avoid suspicion. We already know that Merlin does the same with his magic, but it's interesting to see him physically do it as well.

The main reason behind this is kind of obvious: he needs to look unassuming so that nobody notices that he has magic. But I think there's another reason too.

Merlin shows a lot of self-deprecation throughout the series, even calling himself a monster in the first episode. It gets worse as time goes on, until in the final season Merlin barely even sees himself as a person anymore, just an instrument of fate and a weapon for Arthur. He makes some improvement with his revelation in the crystal cave in the finale, but not much.

So, it makes sense that Merlin makes himself physically smaller because he thinks of himself as a monster, a threat, and he needs everyone else around him to see him as nonthreatening, both for his own survival and to keep the people he loves.

When Merlin stands up straight and uses his magic, showing his full strength, it is only around the characters who know about his magic and accept him with it. He only shows this side of himself, the powerful side of him that isn't afraid to take up space and have a presence, to people he already knows don't see him as a threat.

And it adds a whole new level of heartbreak to Merlin's character.

Obsessed with how Colin Merlin sits with his long ass legs all curled up

it’s giving 11 year old boy who grew really tall over the summer and is still getting used to having big feet and long legs

I agree that you're both popular and hyperfixated @achillesuwu!

I'm probably hyperfixated, considering my blog's contents lol!

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✨The blorbos✨

I find these off pintrest.

Which moot am I guys?????????